Cam Ye O'ver Frae France
Cam ye o'er frae France?
Cam ye down by Lunnon?
Saw ye Geordie Whelps
And his bonny woman?
Were ye at the place
Ca'd the Kittle Housie?
Saw ye Geordie's grace
Riding on a goosie?
Geordie he's a man
There is little doubt o't;
He's done a' he can
Wha can do without it?
Down there came a blade
Linkin' like my lordie;
He wad drive a trade
At the loom o' Geordie.
Though the claith were bad,
Blythly may we niffer;
Gin we get a wab,
It makes little differ.
We hae tint our plaid,
Bannet, belt and swordie,
Ha's and mailins braid --
But we hae a Geordie!
Jocky's gane to France,
And Montgomery's lady;
There they'll learn to dance:
Madame, are ye ready?
They'll be back belyue
Belted, brisk and lordly;
Brawly may they thrive
To dance a jig wi' Geordie!
Hey for Sandy Don!
Hey for Cockolorum!
Hey for Bobbing John,
And his Highland Quorum!
Mony a sword and lance
Swings at Highland hurdie;
How they'll skip and dance
O'er the bum o' Geordie!
-----
Some notes on Cam' Ye O'er frae France:
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 21:37:58 -0800
From: AriadneM_at_Scruznet_dot_com@nowhere.com (A. Marina Fournier)
Subject: Re: Steeleye Span Lyrics???
Newsgroups: rec.music.celtic
Okay, think of Mark Russell [musical political satirist] back in 18th C.
Scotland, and you've got a glimmer of an idea. In Ewan MacColl's Folk
Songs and Ballads of Scotland (consult your local Public or University
Library), is the following intro:
When King Geroge 1st imported his seraglio of impoverished gentlewomen
from German, he provided the jacobite songwriters with material for some
of their most ribal verses--Madam Kilmansegge, Countess of Platen, is
referred to exclusively as "the Sow", while his favorite mistress, the
lean and haggard Madame Schulenberg, afterwards created Duchess of Kendal,
was given the name of "The Goose"; she is the "goosie" referred to in this
song. The "blad" mentioned in the second stanza is the Count Konigsmark.
"Bobbing John" in a reference to John, Earl of Mar, who, at the time this
song was made, was recruiting highlanders for the Hanoverian cause.
"Geordie Whelps" is, of course, George 1st.
The Kittle Housie is a small house--might have been a sarcastic reference
either to a palace or to a hunting lodge. It might also be a brothel...
I'm not certain who Jocky is, I expect Montgomery was a noble or the Chief
of the Name, "learn to dance" may mean learn political intrigue.
Next verse:
Don't remember who Sandy Don (Sanditon?) or Cockolorum are supposed to be,
either. I used to know this stuff.